Ps 65:1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.
Ps 67:3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
Dear fellow elders, brothers and sisters, peace be in the Lord!
Thanks be to the Almighty God and our merciful Heavenly Father who has led us pass through a year full of battles peacefully. It is also a year where we see everywhere God cares for. From the beginning of the year to its end, whenever we encounter any plight, we experience all the more God opened a way wonderfully for us! Is anything too hard for God! The God of Ebenezer thus far has helped us! He is forever our God!
We have restored our co-workers’ gathering in March this year overseas and in July inside China. Though the gatherings were small, participants from inside and outside China came and helped in various ministries. After the halt caused by the epidemic and when we once again gathered in reunion physically, the spiritual joy was beyond description. It was especially beyond everyone’s imagination that Auntie Zhang, aged 93, was wonderfully arranged to come over to join the small gathering in Poland. Every day she was full of energy and joined every session. After the gathering she blessed the co-workers with prayers and heartfelt exhortation. Auntie had practically placed every co-worker in her heart. How thankful this was! In this gathering, everyone was once again shaken by God’s words. We also experienced the physical power of prayer in the Upper Room in one heart. The co-workers deeply received the light and thus reflected and repented for our own guilt. We have delayed and halted the commission of the forty-two Antioch. Thanks be to our merciful and faithful God, after the spirit of our co-workers had been broken, they all brought a fervent mission and vision back to their own battlefield. After the gathering, some co-workers were invited to visit Rome, Prato and Paris for mission work. We saw the presence of the Holy Spirit. May all the glory be ascribed to the Lamb who was slain.
Lately God led two Antioch of Europe, Madrid and Genoa to collaborate to open up our Antioch mission in Mexico. We believe that this type of collocation will expedite the vision of the development of the forty-two Antioch! Furthermore, the Antioch center of Pakistan was successively completed and put into use recently. Though there was hardship, the co-workers experienced even more of God’s gracious protection. For this, we offered the most-worthy of thanks and praise! How thankful that God has raised a new generation for His own work to willingly offer for the work of the Antioch and pressing forward vigorously. Ps 126:5-6 “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”
This year by the end of April, Home of Grace in Louisiana had an opportunity to share our vision and mission with the Antioch Gospel Church in Pennsylvania. This church was newly established. Their members were not many but they were fervent to spread the gospel. From the pastor to the deacons and the believers, they were all actively involved in the local and mission field spreading the gospel. They were also willing to give donations to the missionary organizations in need. May more churches be able to see the vision of the Antioch, so all churches will respond to God’s Great Commission in one heart and follow the Antioch churches as in the times of the apostles through constant prayers together and let the Holy Spirit dispatch to accomplish the work of God.
Our God values the workers themselves more important than anything else! How important it is for a worker to be completely refined by God and be gained by God! Up till this day, God is still searching for people who are after God’s heart, then millions of souls will be able to hear the gospel through them! How thankful to see the newly raised generation and the little colts are not satisfied because they are able to minister and to share messages. They cry earnestly to long inwardly for being more fearful on God’s words. They choose to follow Jesus willingly and deny themselves to be humble and obedient; and not to show off at their own will to serve in a comfortable and popular place. They are diligent to eat up the scroll. They pray faithfully and watchfully. They are positively preparing themselves to be used constantly and mightily fit for God. As we see the next generation are walking according to the truth, our joy is no greater than this.
Even though all the Home of Grace in China encountered internal and external difficulties, God’s grace is sufficient. They have never stop serving according to the pattern shown on the mountain. They receive unceasingly the fellow workers who come for spiritual retreat and be equipped. This includes many who return to China to visit their relatives and are thus strengthened. They also went to various places to strengthen the churches and the strongholds of prayer rooms and bible sharing.
The platform of Home of Grace and London provide the spiritual manna every day. Co-workers liaise with fellows of various place and equip themselves together in the truth. This is indeed a blessing to us from God. We are especially thankful for every co-worker in front of and behind the scenes who have been serving faithfully from day to night in humility and unity. Truly this is our good example.
On the evening of September 17 this year, our respectful and loving aunt Shu Zhen Wang had peacefully returned to the heavenly home at the age of ninety-eight. In memory of aunt Wang, she loved the Lord with a pure heart all her life. She was faithful as a servant in God’s house and watchful in prayer. She had been holding fast in the destined place for decades. She sought the will of God in everything. She denied herself to love people. All these gave the latter followers a wonderful example to learn from our elder to be loyal, persevering and firm till the end. Rev 14:13 “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…. for their deeds will follow them.”
Looking to the future, we are filled with confidence and hope because our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth! Though right now the whole mankind is full of sins and evil, everywhere was catastrophes and wars. People panic in turbulence. We ought to be all the more confident and watchful in prayer, equip ourselves speedily and actively train workers to go to various places to develop the Antioch missionary gospel ministry. May God for His own work, raise up more modern Joshua and Caleb who have a different spirit and follow God wholeheartedly with a suffering spirit to obey God’s will firmly and be more holy and godly! Let us keep the Word by faith and follow closely the footsteps of the Lord to brave the wind and the waves and go forward against the countercurrent.
Let us continue to cry to God in our prayer room for the revival of His deeds, in wrath remember mercy! We deeply believe Hab 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Sincerely to all co-workers in the Lord, may we all bathe in the grace of the Lord, praise in one heart and look forward for a greater revival!
Wishing you all a thankful and happy New Year!
From all co-workers of Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers